New Zealand Open Pre Qualifying
After the Pre Qualifying for the New Zealand Open I have shot a score of 71 (Ev) to be T6th. 12 greens 29 putts. Top 4 to qualify for the 1st round. 5th place would get 2nd alternate. The weather was terrible for most of the day for the players that teed off 1st. Seeing as though I was in the 1st group of the day I unfortunately played in the worst of the weather. Sideways rain and 20-30km/h wind till the 14th.
Teeing off the 1st I hit 3 greens in a row to start out. Making 1 bogey on 2, 3 putting from 24m and 1 birdie on 3 with a tap in. Heading back into the gail on a 380m par 4 I hit driver 3iron to be a foot off the green making par with an up and down.
Greens flowed again at 5, 6 and 7 playing some great golf making a 9m birdie putt at 6 to get into the red. At this point the rain and wind where unbearable. 7 and 8 were easy holes and was a tad disappointing not to steal another birdie before heading into the back nine. I did however make an amazing par on 9 to keep the momentum going.
Hitting 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15 greens in regulation I made one birdie on a par 5 at the 12th, although the previous hole made a 3 putt bogey from 12m missing a 1m putt. It was good to bounce straight back. Simple up and down on 13 almost chipping in. Another up and down at the postage stamp par 3 16.
A drive down 17 caught the cross rough into the wind. Crossing fingers as I walked to find it that I had a swing and a good lie. Initially when I found the ball and 1st looked at the lie from 148m I thought to myself I could get a 6 iron to the green. Took my stance and there was no way as my left foot sunk into the thick stuff to now be playing on a downhill lie that I could get there with this club choice. Took 2 clubs less and advanced the ball 5m to another terrible lie only advancing that shot 50m down the fairway. The nightmare started and I needed to make up and down and birdie the last to maybe have a chance of making it through to the NZ Open.
My 69m pitch shot finished 5m from the flag missing the cup with the putt. My heart sank. Never could have imagined it would be like this with the weather turning fine when I played so well in the crap. I did make birdie up the last but that did not mean anything in the end.
As the scores came in they kept getting better and better. Eventually 3 under was the mark and I would have needed to shoot 4 under to outright make it through as another player tied at 3 would have forced a playoff. Been so pleased with my golf over the past 5 days yet so far from any real success in this period. I will be back in Australia on Thursday for anyone who is wanting lessons starting on Friday the 2nd of March. Looking forward to being back after being on the road and in the air for well over a month and a half.
